First Ever Father's Day
by Crystalteen
Summary: Ryan Albright (belongs to my great friend, AlongTheBinding) is going through his first ever Father's Day with Ponyboy since he was adopted by him. Nevertheless, will Ryan be able to pull off finding Ponyboy the best gift before time runs out with the help of the gang and others? Will this Father's Day go as planned? Please read & enjoy this one-shot!


**A/N: Hello, everybody! I'm sure you're all aware of "Greasers and Socs Sleepover", a one-shot that I have created in the short past for my amazing friend, ****AlongTheBinding****. Well, since they're still so, so dazzling and awesome, I'm creatin' this new one-shot for ****AlongTheBinding**** as well! I DO NOT own Ryan! Ryan is ****AlongTheBinding's**** character, not mine! Same thing with Albert and Christopher! I only own Kitten, Jocelyn, Cassidy, and Mary! **_**Please**_** review! **

**If you've ever read ****AlongTheBinding's**** Ryan's stories, you all would know that Ryan was actually adopted and took in by Ponyboy when he was fifteen. So, this one-shot shows Ryan's first ever Father's Day with Ponyboy and the gang…but can he find the perfect gift before time runs out? Also, back then, I don't know what day Father's Day fell on, so I made this one-shot have Father's Day on June sixteenth.**

**Johnny and Dallas are still alive in this one-shot! They survived their injuries and are completely healed, as if they were never harmed! Now, I hope you all enjoy and please review!**

It's pretty hard to understand from time to time that Tulsa was actually full of miracles, even though there was a whole lot of drama and danger going back and forth between gangs, mainly the Greasers and the Socials. Nevertheless, even with all of the shootings, rumbles, bar fights, robberies, and whatnot in Tulsa, miracles always came out one way or the other. Just ask Orion Simon Albright, who actually prefers getting called by Ryan.

Ryan was a fifteen-year-old boy who lived with his abusive father, Albert, and older brother, Christopher, whom was nicknamed Gopher while Ryan was nicknamed Lion. Ryan had decently long, chestnut-colored hair that always remained uncombed and shagged up, because that was just his style. Scars covered his back, meaning that he always wore long sleeves.

Nevertheless, no matter how many injuries were forever marked on the poor young boys back, and not to mention how his father always was towards him with Gopher now off at war, a miracle found its way to Ryan. Ryan ended up getting adopted by Ponyboy Curtis (age 24), later getting taken in and approved greatly by the Greasers gang, Darry (age 31) and Sodapop Curtis (26 going on 27), Kitten Andrews (age 24), Two-Bit Mathews (age 28), Dallas Winston (age 27), Johnny (age 26), Cassidy (age 22), and Jocelyn Cade (age 10), and lastly, Steve Randle (age 27) as well. Later on down the road, shortly after being adopted, Ryan met Mary Valence, Sherri, or Cherry Valence's, fifteen-year-old kid sister, who sooner or later became Ryan's first ever girlfriend.

Ryan was sleeping like a dreamy angel up in his room on the Curtis's second floor that used to be the guest room, but was later transformed into Ryan's bedroom.

Adorable Ryan was relaxing underneath the warm covers of his cozy bed, his eyes dreamily closed as his head rested back, sinking into one of the two plush pillows. His chestnut-colored hair was remaining like it usually was, messy and tangled, but it was yet adorable for Ryan as it hung slightly in his closed eyes.

Nevertheless, Ryan's sleep didn't last him much longer when his radio came on like it usually did when the clock struck 10:00 A.M. all throughout summer.

"Good morning, Tulsa! It's another glorious and hot summer day today, so make sure to wear your shorts, short sleeves, and plenty of sunscreen!" the male voice from the news station announced with that usual cheerful and thrilled tone that was actually getting on Ryan's last nerves, considering that these people from the news station always acted excited and energized just to get paid more and whatnot.

However, just because Ryan hated the sound of the news stations radio announcers voices acting like that all the time, that didn't stop Ryan's eyes from shooting open with absolute fear as he yelped loudly, and he instantly pounced up in a sitting position on his bed, his heart now racing like a wild and crazy drum in his chest and a cold sweat starting to form.

"Ugh…not again." Ryan moaned, rubbing his eyes with his balled up fists, right before he released a yawn, then kicked off his covers from resting over from his waistline and down. Even though the news station announcers bugged him greatly, Ryan always forced himself to listen to what they had to say each morning, only so he could judge if it was important to himself. It usually never was. Everything that Ryan heard from those people never satisfied him one bit. Not by a long shot.

"Today is June sixteenth, and I'm sure we all know what that means! All of the dads out there will sure be overjoyed and absolutely excited for this day!" the female voice then took its turn from whoever it belonged to from the news station as they worked that day with whoever's voice the man's belonged to.

Ryan annoyingly rolled his eyes, but continued to listen as he made his bed to look good as new. Ryan remembered after the news station lady that summer day said the word _Dads _such bad and terrible memories from when he lived with his father, and with Gopher off at war, he wasn't there to protect him over the littlest things that Albert hollered, cursed, and beat Ryan over. One of the biggest examples of the littlest things that Albert whipped Ryan over was when he didn't make his bed in the morning…and always remembering those types of mornings with his actual father caused Ryan to always be cautious with everything he did in his new home under the Curtis's roof, which included him making his bed.

"You got that right, Suzie! I'm sure everybody who's listening right now knows exactly what day this is! The sun is shining in the clear blue sky, the birds are singing, the breeze is such wonder in the moist, warm air…" the male voice sighed happily, going on with some more words that Ryan was getting annoyed even more over that morning.

"Is he a news station announcer, or a very corny poet that doesn't know a clue about his life?" Ryan muttered to himself, finishing up fixing his bed to make it look good as new, as if he never ever slept in it.

"Zackary is correct about the sun glowing so perfectly in the blue sky with the birds magical sounds going all out as the breeze dances! Today is such a marvelous setup for none other than _Father's Day_!" Suzie's voice announced, right before soft clapping was heard from most likely hers and Zackary's hands near their microphones that connected their voices and whatnot to the radio.

A sudden jolt of shock suddenly spiked throughout Ryan's entire body. His innocent eyes that were usually filled with plead and shyness were now swimming with such shock and unexpectedness. As his mouth fell, gaping open, his skin paled whiter than a ghost, and it felt like you could now hear his heart beating so wildly, that it was as if you could also hear every bone in his body jittering and shaking around.

Father's Day?! Father's Day?! It couldn't have been! Ryan always remembered Father's Day, because he specifically remembered all the yearly times his father hit and shouted much foul language at him every single time one of his gifts for him "weren't good enough" or "were pathetic". Even when Ryan was a toddler, he couldn't win over his own dads heart. He attempted to give him a picture of him one Father's Day when he was only two, but Albert snatched it from his little hands, crumbled it up, and tossed it into the trash, yelling at Ryan and telling him that he already knew what he looked like, unfortunately.

Ryan tried everything from poems, flowers, pastries, pictures, and anything else imaginable that you could afford to buy for someone or create yourself so they could show them how much they meant to you. However, nothing worked. Albert has always hated Ryan since the time he took his first breath of life.

Nevertheless, Albert was the past, and Ponyboy was the present and future. But Ryan had completely forgot that it was Father's Day! The only thing that Ryan could keep repeating to himself was a sarcastic "Great!" over and over again. He hadn't even started his first ever Father's Day with Ponyboy and he was already blowing it! He had absolutely nothing planned that day at all, and to top _that _off, he didn't have a present of any kind to give to the dad that seemed so, so perfect compared to every other father in the world in Ryan's mind.

Ryan simply couldn't create any kind of artwork, even though he was such a fantastic artist, because of two reasons. One, he felt that Pony deserved _way _better than something doodled on a piece of paper, meaning that any kind of card was out, and two, he was way too upset in himself about forgetting Father's Day in the first place to even sit still to create a picture.

"Oh, great! Just great! Great, great, great, great!" Ryan rapidly kept repeating his sarcasm over and over again as he rushed all around his bedroom, bashing quickly to get dressed out of his pajamas and ready for the day so he could head on out to find the perfect gift for Ponyboy, who was gone at an authors signing and wouldn't be back until later that evening, so Ryan had time, but not as much time as others may think.

"My first ever Father's Day with my new dad, and I completely forgot! I'm not prepared one bit! I got no plans, no gifts, no nothing! God, my actual dad was correct! I _am _a terrible son!" Ryan bellowed in frustrated spite of himself for forgetting a holiday that was now super important to him since Ponyboy was nobody close to what Albert was like when Ryan lived with him.

Adding some hair grease to his hair and leaving it uncombed and shagged up like usual, considering he _hated _brushing his hair, Ryan undressed from his nighttime clothing until he was completely bare, except for his boxers that stayed on.

Then, he took no hesitation to zip on a pair of worn out, slightly dirty jeans and pull on a plain dark golden yellow T-shirt, along with a light blue-jeans jacket. After that, he started hopping on one foot at a time rapidly, yanking on a pair of white socks. Finally, he snatched up his dark brown pair of slightly dirty and worn out tennis shoes, and he took off out of his bedroom, leaving the door wide open with his pajamas just resting on the floor for a change.

Ryan was too caught up in thinking about what he could possibly buy Ponyboy for Father's Day with such time on his hands, considering that it already _was _Father's Day and Ponyboy would only remain at that authors signing until the evening arrived. Actually, the fifteen-year-old was such in deep thought that he didn't use his head when he bashed down the stairs and ran into something hard, causing him to fall and land flat on his back.

Now sprawled out on the kitchen floor, Ryan thought that he ran into the wall or something, but when he gazed up, he realized that it was Darry who was now staring down at him, his eyes widened from shock on how quick Ryan was rushing about for a change that summer morning.

Soda, Two-Bit, Steve, Dallas, Johnny, Cassidy, and Jocelyn, who were each sitting at the Curtis's kitchen table, quickly turned their full, undivided attention over to Ryan, who was still there on the floor, until Darry reached down his hand and helped him back up on his feet.

Kitten looked up from scrubbing the stove, one of her hands using the sponge to scrub, while her other hand was busy gently resting and rubbing around on her _baby-bump _showing tummy. A few weeks after Ryan was taken in by Ponyboy and the rest of the gang, Pony had finally knelt down on one knee and proposed to Kitten at the park by the fountain, which believe it or not, was Kitten's and Ponyboy's favorite place to be with each other in all of Tulsa. It was on their side of town, so Socs hardly ever dared to go there. Later down a month or two, Kitten and Ponyboy got happily and gleefully married at the beautiful and glorious church where Mr. and Mrs. Curtis got married many years before, which made Kitten technically Ryan's new mother. Well, after that…pretty much everyone knows the saying…first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes driving 'round the _baby carriage_…in other words, Ponyboy's becoming a daddy and Kitten's becoming a mommy to their own baby boy or girl.

Kitten formed a playful smirk at her and Ponyboy's adopted son as she stopped scrubbing the stove, then tugged on the bottom of her gray maternity shirt that Ponyboy had got her, which said in blue and pink letters, _Am I A Boy Or A Girl? _

"Man, Ryan," Kitten giggled, gently patting and rubbing her belly with both of her hands this time. "That fall was so unexpected that I could've sworn I felt Jr. in here jump." Kitten joked, sweetly and adorably chuckling some more. Everyone, minus Ryan and even Dally, laughed along with the joke, knowing for a fact that Kitten was referring to hers and Pony's little baby. Actually, Kitten was supposed to give birth two weeks before, but she's been delayed often for quite some time. Nevertheless, all of the doctors and the nurses that she's went to see with Ponyboy kept saying the same thing. It was normal and there was nothing to worry or fear over.

"Rye, what's up? You're usually not like this in the morning, son." Kitten pointed out when she noticed how Ryan wasn't laughing along or at least smiling like everybody else was doing, even tough Darry and tuff Dally.

"Did you all know that today was Father's Day?!" Ryan exclaimed, his tone filled with a plain mixture of panic and some rage in himself.

All of the greasers gazed around at each other, their eyebrows cocked or just confused/concerned expressions now plastered on their faces. While some of them started scratching their chins when thinking about why Ryan sounded and was acting so strange over the day being Father's Day, the others just shrugged their shoulders.

"Of course we each know it's Father's Day, Ryan. Actually, Pony, Soda, and I always greatly celebrated it when our father was alive." Darry shared, giving Ryan's shoulder a loving pat before he took over Kitten's job at scrubbing the stove.

"Um, how could we _not _know that todays Father's Day? It's printed on every calendar in the world, it was just announced on the radio, the commercials on TV have been going all out…and for me, I called my dad in jail to give him a proper Father's Day greeting…until he started calling me a worthless piece of trash that shouldn't ever be born, so I cursed back then slammed the phone through my bedroom window." Dally went on in as much detail as he could possibly give about what happened with him and his dad over the phone before he left to the Curtis's house.

"Ah, Father's Day…the one day of the whole year that I actually attempt tracking down my father for my kid sister and I to tell him how much it's great that he was the other half that brought us into the world." Two-Bit sighed happily, now kicking back in his chair with his hands cuffed around his neck and his sock wearing feet relaxing beside his crumb covered plate on the Curtis's table.

Everyone in the gang then, minus Ryan, gazed at Two-Bit as if he was a psychotic freak after they took in and digested what he said.

"Yeah…thank God for _that_!" Dally rolled his eyes when he mumbled his words with complete sarcasm.

Two-Bit glared at him, faking a hurt huff as he bellowed out, "Well I see how it is!"

"Shut up! I'm not in the mood to hear any arguing right now!" Darry warned. If there was one specific person you'd extremely want to listen to out of everyone in Tulsa, next to Dallas Winston and Kitten Andrews (now Kitten Curtis), it'd be Darry Curtis. After hearing those words come out of the eldest Curtis's mouth, Dally and Two-Bit instantly shut their mouths, and everyone turned their full, undivided attention back over to Ryan.

"Ryan, why are you so worked up over it being Father's Day?" Cassidy questioned, picking and eating different, small pieces of her two chocolate-chip pancakes with her fork inbetween certain words when she spoke, but she made sure none of her chewed up food within her mouth was in any view or sight of anybody, because Johnny told her to always mind her manners like a young lady should.

"Because I completely forgot!" Ryan exclaimed, his voice now sounding like it was flooding with absolutely nothing except panic. "Meaning that I didn't get Ponyboy anything! Not a single thing! Not even a card!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ryan! Slow down!" Darry attempted calming the fifteen-year-old boy down with his gentle toned words as he poured himself a cup of freshly made coffee, but he knew it wouldn't work. _Everyone _underneath the Curtis's roof knew absolutely for sure that it wouldn't work on Ryan, so they understood that Darry needed help.

"You should do what Darry's telling you, Rye. Pony's understanding. I'm sure he'll be alright with you forgetting that todays Father's Day." Johnny assured in his usual soft and quiet voice. However, Ryan shook his head after the oldest Cade wrapped up what he wanted to inform him on. Sure, Ponyboy actually _was _completely understanding, but this was Ryan's first ever Father's Day with him since he actually cared to foster and take him in.

"Yes, but this just isn't Father's Day to me! _This_ is my _first ever _Father's Day with Pony as my new dad! He's actually the one who talked Uncle Soda and Uncle Darry into fostering me in the first place here! Without him, I'd still be getting tracked down by my actual father and would still be getting abused!" Ryan reminded.

"We understand that, Ryan, but you've been through a lot…and I mean _a lot_…when you lived with your real dad. You never really experienced a wonderful and loving Father's Day with an _actual _caring and sweet soul like Ponyboy as your father-" Soda explained.

"Exactly!" Ryan exclaimed, cutting the middle Curtis off, but before the fifteen-year-old boy could say another word himself, he was the one to be cut off this time.

"Whoa there, Lion! You never gave me a chance to finish!" Sodapop chuckled, flashing Ryan one of his world famous, movie-star handsome smiles before finishing what lesson he wanted to give the fifteen-year-old. "Considering your actual father abused you, you wouldn't have noticed Father's Day come 'round again after you spent your fifteen years of life not even being pleased by that man one bit. So, you shouldn't worry about this Father's Day. Pony will understand."

"Yes, I know, but I at least want to give him something to show him my thanks for everything and that I love him!" Ryan shared, his voice now starting to sound like a whiny five year olds than a fifteen year olds actual voice. The gang knew what that tone of his voice meant. Ryan was giving out the stubborn message that he was getting his way one way or the other. Sometimes, the gang secretly agreed that he was too stubborn for his own good.

"Well then, Ryan," Darry sighed "if you're _that _hooked on getting Pony something, then you can maybe try getting him a watch…I always _did _want him to be on time in the past, and I certainly haven't changed till this day."

Ryan nodded his head, but not in an approving manner. It was a thinking manner. The fifteen-year-old boy scratched his chin as he cocked an eyebrow, taking a moment to think about Darry's suggestion on what he could give Ponyboy for Father's Day.

"Uncle Darry, I think that's a tuff suggestion, but I don't think it's tuff enough for my first ever Father's Day gift for Ponyboy." Ryan innocently spoke, still remaining the way he was with his eyebrow cocked and hand still slightly scratching his chin.

"How about you get him a tie?" Steve suggested. It didn't take long at all until everyone, including Ryan and even Two-Bit, quickly drew their full, undivided attention over to the number one car expert, gazing at him like he just lost his mind.

"Name _one _time you actually saw Ponyboy wearing a tie!" Dally bellowed, his eyes now widened and mouth gaped open a little from having a hard time believing Steve actually suggested for Ryan to get Ponyboy a tie for his first ever Father's Day with him.

"Well…um…uh…there was that time when…wait…no, he wasn't wearing a tie then…" Steve stuttered, bringing one of his thumbs up to his mouth, which is when he started chewing a bit on his thumb nail, which is what he usually did when he was now in deep thought about something.

"Sorry, buddy, but Dally's got ya there. Pony's never worn a tie before in his entire life, even when our parents used to take him, me, and Darry to church long ago." Soda shared as he gave his best pal since grade-school a few pats on the shoulder.

Ryan continued to scratch his chin, his eyebrow still remaining cocked as he took in every single word that was being spoken at the scene that he and everybody else in the gang was in at the time.

"Alright, so no watch and no tie…how about something that _isn't_ any particular type of clothing?" Ryan innocently questioned.

"Flowers?" Jocelyn spoke up, her voice so adorable and innocent like the sweet and cute ten-year-old that she was. She got her soft tone and loving heart from both of her older siblings who technically raised her in the past and they actually still were till that very day.

"Sorry, Jocelyn, but Ponyboy's allergic to different types of flowers." Ryan sighed as he shook his head back and forth at the youngest Cade's suggestion for Ponyboy's Father's Day gift. "You guys, or gals, got anything else up your sleeves?"

"Ya know…I would give you my ideas, but I'm not in the mood to die today. Now if you all will excuse me, I'm going to the other room to pay my ridiculous excuse of a father another call." Dally started to growl his words like a snarling junkyard dog when he brought up his own father, right before he hopped out of his chair at the Curtis's table and continued his way out of the room.

Confusingly, Ryan cocked an eyebrow again as he glanced around at everyone else in the gang, who were each staring at him with some new confused expressions now glued on each of their faces.

"…Ok?" Ryan shrugged his shoulders after he was able to speak again after finding his voice from confusingly losing it after he took in and digested what Dallas said to him before he just got up and left to go call his dad again in the other room. "Anybody else have anymore suggestions?" Ryan then asked.

"Rye, how about you get Ponyboy a mug that says _Words Greatest Dad _or something like that?" Soda offered.

"Oh, yeah! He's always talking about how he should really start drinking out of mugs…when he gets his own, that is." Darry backed up Sodapop's offer with that fact.

"I remember I did a handprint on a Christmas ordainment for my dads Christmas present when I was just a toddler. Maybe you could do a handprint on a plain mug for Ponyboy." Kitten optioned.

"That would work!" Soda snapped his fingers together as he dazzled yet another one of his world-famous, super handsome grins, which instantly gained over everybody's full, undivided attention. "It makes sense! Ponyboy always wanted his own mug, and we have a plain white one that could be used for Ryan to place his handprint on it, which would last an even longer memory, and it'll be a perfect Father's Day gift!"

"That's perfect!" Ryan exclaimed, now completely overjoyed and thrilled with the brilliant idea for Ponyboy's gift.

No more words needed to be spoken from anybody at all. Kitten began getting the paint out from one of the kitchen cabinets while Darry and Soda gathered up the dirty dishes from the table and placed them in the sink for them to wash, and lastly, everyone else in the gang headed into the living room to watch TV, except if you were 'ol Dally, who was still muttering much foul language at his dad from using the Curtis's phone.

"You guys really think Pony will love the mug?" Ryan asked, sitting there in one of the kitchen tables chairs with such an excited smile on his face and his right arms sleeve rolled up so it wouldn't get any paint on it after Kitten got it over to him on a paper plate.

"You kidding, Rye? He'll love it! Now would ya sit still? You're bouncing with so much excitement that anybody could mistake you for Soda here!" Darry joked, chuckling a bit with his words as he pointed his free hands thumb over to the middle Curtis, who was busy drying the dishes that he just finished washing.

"Darry's right, Ryan. Ponyboy _will _completely love it, and…we already have one Soda and one's enough, just like having one Two-Bit is extremely enough." Kitten giggled.

"I heard that!" Two-Bit's voice echoed from the Curtis's living room, trying to sound stern towards what he heard Kitten say, but his laughter was getting the best of him.

"And hey, two of me…two times the handsome!" Soda swooned over his own self as he did a girly hair flip just for fun to fit his joke. It worked on Ryan and Kitten, making Ryan laugh as Kitten playfully rolled her eyes and chuckled a bit herself. Darry, on the other hand, couldn't help himself to smile a little himself as he shook his head back and forth at Soda's behavior. Whenever you're around Sodapop Curtis, it's pretty much always impossible to maintain your laughter and smile.

"Are you ever going to grow up, Pepsi-Cola?" Darry questioned. Soda gazed at him, still grinning that usual handsome and movie-star smile of his, while Kitten and Ryan exchanged looks, taking a few seconds to think about Darry's question, right before they each, even Darry, shook their heads.

"Nah." the four greasers that were in the kitchen sang together, just as Kitten carried the paper plate that now had every single color of the paint that the Curtis's house held resting in a mixture over to the table, and she sat it down beside Ryan's hand, along with the plain white mug.

"Alright, there you go, hun. Just rest your hand in the paint for at least fifteen seconds, and then carefully and gently press your handprint on the mug. Leave it there for also fifteen seconds at least, alright?" Kitten explained everything that she wanted Ryan to do with the paint and mug.

Ryan nodded his head without any hesitation after Kitten had told him what to do. He was super excited, as if he was a five-year-old instead of a fifteen-year-old, and you could see the glee glimmering off of his adorable eyes as he smiled that cute grin of his like there was no tomorrow.

"Yes, Mom." Ryan spoke when he was finally able to find his voice through his excitement. Kitten smiled again as she walked back over to the cabinet so she could store the small containers of paint back away, while Ryan rested his hand down in the colorful blob of paint, and Soda and Darry grinned at the scene going on around them as they continued to do their parts with the dishes.

Ryan had to maintain his excited jittery movements as he continued to allow his hand to get soaked and bathed in the colorful rainbow blob of paint. He kept counting too fast in his mind to himself because he was super thrilled to reach fifteen so he could take his hand out of the blob of colorful paint and place his handprint on the plain white mug. Every time he counted, Ryan knew that he was going too fast and he'd have to start all over so he could actually reach fifteen seconds with no more and no less of any time.

Finally, Ryan was overjoyed when he reached fifteen seconds in a slower and non-rushed manner, and he took his hand out of the colorful blob of paint.

"Ah, kindergarten memories are coming back to me…only this time there isn't any paint explosions." Soda whispered to Darry, making the two of them snicker at the old memories, and when Kitten heard them chuckling, she understood that they must've been talking and referring somewhat about Ryan, so she couldn't help to smile and playfully roll her eyes.

However, the soft laughter and grins instantly faded and vanished when this sudden shatter was heard right behind the three greasers that were there in the Curtis's kitchen, followed by these out of no where shaky breaths that belonged to Ryan being taken in, and the fifteen-year-old going "No…no, no…oh, no…", stuttering that over and over again softly to himself.

"Yeah, Dad…I'm goin' to have to call ya back again later…I hate you, too. Bye, Dad." Dally hung up the Curtis's living room phone, then quickly trotted into the Curtis's kitchen with the rest of the gang to find Kitten just staring shocked as she helped Ryan clean up his hand from the paint, and Darry and Soda were now sweeping up the plain mug that was now nothing but bits and pieces of sharp broken shatters resting on the tile floor.

"What happened in here?!" Johnny questioned, holding Jocelyn close to him so she wouldn't walk any further into the kitchen.

"I-It…it was a-an accident…" Ryan stuttered nervously as he trembled and shook a little, considering the fact that he still suffered from the dark and vivid memories that contained his actual abusive father from not long ago at all with Albert's bitter, sour, and foul language and striking punches and painful kicks.

Kitten gently and lovingly swooped her other arm around Ryan's shoulder, holding him close to her side as she gave his shoulder a few comforting squeezes, as she whispered to him that everything was alright and that it truly _was _an accident, and she lastly cleaned off the remains of the wet paint from Ryan's hand with a rag.

"How'd the mug break?" Cassidy asked, making sure her voice was remaining calm and gentle so nothing would startle Ryan even more with that loud shatter from the mug smashing still ringing in his ears.

"The paint. It makes things very slick." Darry sighed. He tossed away the broken pieces of the mug in the trashcan while Soda stored the broom back away in the corner of the kitchen. Carefully, Ryan rested his head on Kitten's shoulder, allowing her to stroke his hair as she continued to shush him.

"Alright then…" Ryan took in a deep breath and released it as a sigh for two reasons. One, to get a hold of himself, and two, he felt upset in himself because he felt like he was the reason that the mug smashed, but deep, deep inside, he knew that Darry was right and it truly was the paint being slippery.

"It's obvious that I can't give Ponyboy that mug now…anymore suggestions?" Ryan sighed. Dally opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly shut himself up when he received Soda's rare death-mock stare, and Darry spoke up with the words, "Suggestions that are legal and won't cause any injuries to anybody."

That's when Dally pretended to lock his mouth shut and throw away the key, before he placed his hands up to his shoulders and just shook his head back and forth, meaning that he wasn't going to say anything.

"Oh, I got it!" Steve snapped his fingers together as he flashed his rare smile, which instantly gained over everyone's full, undivided attention, especially Ryan's. "You can bake him a cake! You know how much Ponyboy adores cake here, especially chocolate!" Steve then pointed out.

"…Who _doesn't _adore our chocolate cakes here?" Sodapop asked, his voice full of hype and excitement already just thinking about the suggestion that Steve offered.

Darry placed his hands on his hips, holding back a pout from tugging at his lips. "Well, a cake _does _sound great, but Pony makes his own so he can go without Soda adding too much sugar in the icing and apparently me adding too little." Darry informed.

"Actually…" a sudden grin formed on Ryan's face as he raised his head back up from resting on Kitten's shoulder, and everybody instantly gazed back at him with eagerness glowing in each of their eyes from wondering about what Ryan was about to say.

"I actually know the way Ponyboy creates his own chocolate cake since I love Pony's cakes the most…no offence, Uncle Darry and Uncle Soda." Ryan wrapped up what he wanted to say, just as Darry crossed his tough arms over his rock-hard chest and shrugged his shoulders, and Soda only continued to smile, both of them not really minding Ryan's opinion.

"None taken." Darry coolly assured "now, how about we each start baking this cake. Rye, you're the head chef."

Ryan was already up on his feet, cheering "Sweet!" towards Darry's instruction, acting as if the broken mug wasn't anything to him anymore when it actually still sort of was. Kitten grinned and playfully rolled her eyes at her adopted sons behavior, fetching him an apron so he wouldn't get anything on his clothes when he and the others helped with the powder, icing, sprinkles, dough, etc.

"Alright, we're going to need the chocolate cake mix from the cooler, and as much colors of icing that's under this ceiling." Ryan instructed.

"You heard the fifteen-year-old! Let's get started!" Two-Bit laughed as he gave Ryan a playful, but very much gentle, slap on the shoulder.

"I got the chocolate cake mix!" Soda announced, shooting one of his arms up excitedly, acting as if he was a little kid in school who was super thrilled that he knew the answer to a question.

"Well, I'll fetch all the icing that we have." Darry proudly grinned as he began searching the cabinets for the many different colored tubes of yummy, creamy, and fluffy icing.

Everyone instantly began working around the kitchen, some helping others while some just worked independently, all fetching different types of ingredients that Ryan asked them kindly and respectfully to get.

As Darry searched for the tubes of icing and Soda got the chocolate cake mix from the cooler, Two-Bit and Dallas both worked on getting the eggs, while Jocelyn helped Ryan stir everything together, Johnny worked on getting the peanut butter to go in the center of the cake, and Steve worked with Cassidy and Kitten, helping them with the secret mint that Ponyboy loved to secretly place in his pieces of cake.

"Two-Bit! Dal! Can I have three more eggs, please?" Ryan kindly asked, not taking his eyes off from what he and Jocelyn were doing with stirring all of the ingredients that was already given to him in the serving bowl.

"Three more eggs, comin' up!" Two-Bit understood, trying to maintain his laughter when he spoke, but he couldn't help it like usual, as he placed his right hand up to his forehead and acted like a sailor who was obeying the captain.

Dallas crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at Two-Bit's behavior, secretly wishing that he could pull out his switchblade and tell Two-Bit to shut his mouth, but he knew that he couldn't without scaring the daylights out of Ryan. If there was one person in the whole wide world that Dally never wanted to frighten, startle, or anything like that, next to Johnny, Jocelyn, and Cassidy, it was Ryan.

"Oh, wow, Mathews. I never knew you could count that high." Dally snickered, his teeth slightly gritting as he shot his satisfied smirk that was now upon his face at Two-Bit, who just narrowed his eyes and stared back.

"Just get the three eggs before you both get a whisk to the head!" Darry threatened, making sure he was keeping his voice stern a bit, but yet careful so he wouldn't startle or scare Ryan.

That did it. Two-Bit instantly wiped his "serious/stern" look off from his face and he fetched two of the three eggs. He was in a quick rush to get the eggs like Darry ordered him and/or Dally to do, so he only grabbed two on accident, but Dallas, considering that this was Ryan's new gift to give Ponyboy for Father's Day, decided to snatch up the last egg. He tossed it then without any cares, and surprisingly, without needing to look up at all, Jocelyn grasped the egg gently as it flew towards her and Ryan, right before she cracked it and poured the yolk into the bowl. Ryan did the same with the two other eggs that Two-Bit had, minus the catching in midair, because Two-Bit didn't throw his two eggs.

"Alright, now to finish this baking off, all we need is none other than the sugar before poppin' this in the oven." Ryan proudly grinned, thinking that, that would be his last instruction for baking the cake…however, he was wrong…

"Got the sugar." Two-Bit reported about ten or so seconds later, and Ryan carefully, but yet quickly at the same time, snatched the sugar away from the wisecracker of the gang, being too caught up in the excitement of how Ponyboy would love the cake for his Father's Day present to actually _read the label _of the container that had white crystal-like substance packed inside of it.

Suddenly, the phone rang, so Johnny went off to get it in the Curtis's living room, just as Two-Bit left to go watch Mickey Mouse because all Ryan did was finally pop the cake ingredients into the oven, and all that was left to do now was wait for fifteen or so minutes.

Darry crashed in the recliner and started reading the newspaper, while Soda and Steve arm-wrestled, Cassidy read to Jocelyn, and lastly, Kitten stayed in the kitchen with Ryan and Dally, because Ryan was super thrilled to see how the cake would turn out that he didn't want to leave the kitchen. Dallas, on the other hand, was just plain bored.

"Aren't you going to go hang out until the cake is ready to be frosted, Dally?" Kitten questioned, lovingly and caringly giving Ryan's shoulder a squeeze as she walked behind him when she picked up the silverware that was used when baking the cake from the counter. That instantly made Ryan's smile grow cuter and brighter, as his eyes glimmered with happiness and love when he looked up and met his moms eyes. Seriously, Ponyboy and Kitten were the best adoption parents Ryan could've ever asked for.

"No." Dally flatly answered Kitten without any hesitation.

"How come?" Kitten then asked.

"Because I don't want to watch Mickey Mouse, arm-wrestle, or read anything like they're each doin' out in the living room. Seriously, what's something _I_ can do?" Dally asked, grumbling with boredom.

"Hey, Dal!" Johnny's voice suddenly called out from the Curtis's living room. "Your dad is on the phone again!"

Dally uncrossed his arms and smacked them back down at his sides as he gave Kitten an admitting expression.

"Well, that answers that." Dallas confessed, stuffing his clenched fists into his leather jackets pockets as he casually and coolly strolled out of the kitchen and entered the living room.

Kitten formed a satisfied smirk as she and Ryan both gazed at each other after Dally's departure from the kitchen, the two of them not being able to help themselves snicker quietly, their faces turning to a bright, bright red shade from holding back much more laughter quite a bit.

"So, Ryan," Kitten spoke through a little more that was left of her giggles. "You excited how Ponyboy will look after he sees the cake?"

"Yeah, I really can't wait!" Ryan answered, not needing a single second to hesitate and think about Kitten's question.

"Well, son, just remember that the rest of the gangs earlier suggestions were okay, too…well, Jocelyn's on the flowers was a good call for you to disagree with, but this could've been a bit easier if you weren't so nervous on thinking what Pony would love for Father's Day, ya know?" Kitten lectured, but her voice was like it usually was when she wasn't in one of her spicy moods. Sweet, loving, and innocent.

"That's easy for you to say. _You're _having his baby here." Ryan reminded.

Kitten grinned and playfully rolled her eyes, turning her smile down to her baby-bump showing stomach as she patted it two gentle times for Ryan to see. Lastly, Kitten flashed Ryan one more final caring smile of hers before she started looking over the ingredients that was left on the counter from baking the cake.

Eggshells, powder, peanut butter, mint, and…oh, shoot. Kitten confusedly cocked an eyebrow when her eyes caught view of the white crystal-like _sugar _that was just laying there on the counter with the other leftovers and remains of the cake ingredients. Concernedly, Kitten began slowly studying the _sugar_, knowing that something just wasn't right, and when she finally picked up the container to read the label, her eyes shot huge as her heart took one heck of a major leap in her chest. She was hoping to God that, that container was just laying around and it wasn't used in the cake.

"Um…Ryan?" Kitten asked as she slowly turned around, holding the container that contained the white crystal-like _sugar_.

"Yeah, Mom?" Ryan asked, still grinning, even though confusion was starting to form inside of him from wondering why Kitten was suddenly staring at him with a slimly nervous look now upon her face. Kitten was the type to rarely get scared, startled, nervous, or anything like that. She was usually always chilled, but at that moment, Ryan knew that something was wrong.

"Uh…_please _don't tell me that _this _is an ingredient that you used in the cake…" Kitten nervously stuttered out the words the best that she could with them being jammed in her throat.

"Um, actually, yeah. Uncle Two-Bit got that when I asked for the sugar." Ryan informed, now confusingly cocking his eyebrow, a trick that he had picked up from Two-Bit.

Kitten stared at her son, her eyes now widened with some fear mixed in with nervousness in how Ryan would take what she was about to say. She took down a gulp to help her clear her throat from the nervous lump that was now resting in it before she spoke another word.

"Ryan, this isn't sugar! This is salt!" Kitten exclaimed to just give the news and get it over with after she was able to find her voice through her rare nervousness from Ryan's response to her previous question.

A sudden jolt of shock has then sprang throughout Ryan's entire body, as his eyes shot huge with the same large amount of shock from not expecting those words to come out of Kitten's mouth. The fifteen-year-old was so startled that he had began feeling cold, and his mouth fell all the way open as far as it could hang.

"What?!" Ryan gasped "Mom, _please _tell me you're joking!"

Kitten placed her free hand that wasn't holding the container of salt on her hip, and she pouted as her eyes flooded with regret, truly hating what she was now going to say.

"I wish I could, Ryan, but I'm afraid I'm not. _This_ is the salt container, _not _the sugar container." Kitten sighed, preparing for what was about to come next.

"OH MY GOD!" Ryan hollered. That wasn't what Kitten was expecting for her son to yell out, but it was close enough. Not long at all after Ryan's voice echoed throughout the entire Curtis's house, here came everybody, fleeing their ways back into the kitchen with Dally being the last since he had to say good-bye to his father yet again over the phone.

"What's wrong, Rye?!" Soda asked, carefully eyeing the scene to make sure that nothing absolutely terrible had happened to anybody or anything.

Kitten pouted and sighed after she took in Soda's words towards Ryan. Nevertheless, without speaking up and saying a single word, she carefully opened up the oven and pulled out the cake, using an oven-mitt to do so, placing it on the counter afterwards.

"The cake we made was supposed to be a _chocolate_ cake! Not a _salty_ cake!" Ryan bellowed, his voice full of more sorrow and some anger in himself mixed together, forcing him to sound a bit stern, even though he truly wasn't trying to sound like that.

Confusedly, Darry cocked an eyebrow, making sure to himself that he caught what Ryan just said correctly and that it wasn't just in his head. He could tell by the confused/concerned looks that were now formed upon the others faces that he must've been correct with what just came out of Ryan's mouth.

"What are you talking about, Ryan? We gave you all of the ingredients that you asked for." the eldest Curtis then opened his mouth and spoke the words that were resting on his mind, finally breaking the silence that was quietly resting over the rest of the gang.

"Actually, that's incorrect." Kitten sighed, finally having enough feelings in herself to break her own quietness that was trying to shield her off from everybody else. Everyone then turned their full, undivided attention over to the first ever female Greaser in all of Tulsa.

"What do ya mean, Kitty?" Steve questioned curiously.

"Yeah, really. We did everything correctly." Two-Bit said, making sure he was keeping the tone of his voice like it usually was indoors so he wouldn't startle Ryan, or make anybody think that he was upset or something like that.

Kitten kept her eyes on Two-Bit, digesting his words before she turned herself around towards the messy counter and picked up the container of salt. Then, she looked back around at everyone, who were all still glancing right back at her with their concerned/confused expressions glued upon their faces, except Ryan's who's was just upset, and Kitten refocused her emerald green eyes on the wisecracker of the gang.

"Whatcha lookin' at me for, Kitten? I know I'm sexy looking, but you're married to Ponyboy and pregnant with his baby here." Two-Bit snickered, trying his best to crack a joke so he could brighten the mood by at least a smidge or something, but all he got was everyone now glancing at him with new facial expressions on their faces that spoke the words, "You're kidding me, right?"

"Mathews, _this _is the container that you gave Ryan when he asked for the sugar?" Kitten asked, ignoring the joke that Two-Bit said before that.

Two-Bit nodded his head as he simply shrugged his shoulders, his face still plastered with that questioning expression and eyes glowing with nothing but absolute confusion.

"Yeah, why?" Two-Bit then asked.

"Wait a second…" Darry's spoke, his eyes narrowed for a second in a thinking manner, but they then shot huge as his mouth fell, now gaping open. "Two-Bit, that's the salt container! Not the sugar container!" Darry exclaimed, almost spitting with every word that he proclaimed from his lips on honest accident.

Floods of words started going all throughout the Curtis's kitchen, moans and groans going, "Oh man!", "No way!", "You gotta be kidding me!", "I'll kill you, Mathews!", and much, much more. But out of everyone, Two-Bit was being the quiet one for a change, his face now beating red with embarrassment as he allowed himself to take in all of the words that were now being said all at once from his friends.

"…Whoops…" Two-Bit gulped when the arguing finally died down enough for his quiet voice to be heard.

Johnny, Cassidy, and Jocelyn sighed as Darry smacked his hand straight onto his face, and Dally and Steve rolled their eyes in such annoyed manners. All Kitten and Ryan did was continue to pout, while lastly, Two-Bit continued to feel embarrassed as his face remained being stained with the color red. But Soda…he was somehow gone all the sudden, but everyone was too caught up in finding out what happened with Two-Bit getting the container of salt instead of the sugar to even notice. Yet, that is.

"Well, that's just great! That's a cake and its actual good ingredients well wasted!" Dally growled, very much wishing that he could beat Two-Bit to a pulp at that moment, but he knew that it wouldn't solve anything. Plus, it was pretty obvious that everyone else was greatly disappointed in Two-Bit just as much for his mistake.

"I said I'm sorry!" Two-Bit exclaimed.

"No, you didn't!" Steve objected, shaking his head with a half angry/half disbelieving look upon his face, his eyes shooting off annoyance and teeth clenched with anger.

"Well, you know I am! That's what's important!" Two-Bit informed "anyway, what can we do now for Ryan's Father's Day gift to Ponyboy? We ran out of cake supplies…but on the bright side…we still have all the sugar remaining around this kitchen somewhere."

"Oh, shut up, Two-Bit!" Darry snarled, making sure he was keeping his tone stern so he could get his order through the wisecrackers head, but he was also making sure that he was being careful so we wouldn't scare Ryan.

"Ugh…" the eldest Curtis then sighed, getting a hold of himself as he wiped some angry sweat that was slightly forming a bit on his forehead away with the back of his right hand. "We'll think of something else…don't worry, we always do in times like this, remember? Two-Bit, throw this cake away." Darry instructed.

Two-Bit grinned a little, trying to brighten the mood of the scene once again by at least a smidge, but he could tell that it wouldn't work. Nevertheless, instead of tossing the cake into the trash, Two-Bit went right on ahead, after he picked the salty cake up, he tossed it right out the kitchen window of the Curtis's house.

Everyone, even Ryan, gazed at Two-Bit after he did that like he was a complete psycho, while the wisecracker dusted his hands together, and when he turned back around, his small grin turned into a confused expression with his eyes now swimming with concern and eyebrow cocked.

"What?" Two-Bit confusedly and curiously questioned.

Darry, once again, smacked his hand straight onto his face, as he began shaking his head back and forth in complete disbelief in what Two-Bit just did with the salty cake.

"Two-Bit, when I asked you to throw the cake away, _I_ _meant in the trashcan_!" Darry bellowed, trying his best not to lose his temper by biting down on his thumb nail, but you could tell that he was still pretty angry.

"Oh…" Two-Bit scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed manner after he took in and digested the oldest Curtis's words. "Well, too late now!"

Steve opened his mouth to sass some very "smart" and "polite" terms to Two-Bit, Johnny getting ready to clamp his hands over Jocelyn's ears, but before Steve could get a single word out from his lips, he had shut himself up, and a concerned expression formed upon his face.

"Um, where's Soda? And where's that big bowl that had all of the icing stirred up in it?" Steve questioned after he took in the final thought that Sodapop was no where to be found, and neither was the big bowl that contained all of the icings that was there on the counter before, but wasn't anymore.

At first, Darry wasn't concerned about Soda like everyone else was after they heard Steve's first question, because knowing his own kid brother, Darry knew that Soda never leaves the house without telling, but right after Darry heard Steve's second question about the big bowl of icing, his eyes shot huge, knowing what must've happened.

"Oh, man!" Darry exclaimed "Soda, come out wherever you are with the big bowl of icing, and one of your icing covered hands up!"

Not long after announcing that throughout the household, Darry took off out of the kitchen to go find Sodapop, and Dallas didn't see the point of not going and giving his dad another call, so he walked back into the Curtis's living room and snatched the phone up.

"Well," Kitten sighed "I'd best go clean up that cake that Mathews here threw out the window."

As Kitten started her way out of the kitchen, Johnny came trotting after her with Cassidy jogging by his side, and Jocelyn skipping behind them, holding Johnny's hand.

"We'll help you, Kit-Cat." Johnny offered, Cassidy nodding her head with full agreement while Jocelyn only smiled.

Steve and Two-Bit stayed in the kitchen with Ryan while Kitten finally left to go clean up the cake that Two-Bit threw out the window with Johnny, Cassidy, and Jocelyn.

Ryan pouted as he sat there, prompting himself up on one of his elbows as he leaned there on the table. He couldn't believe what just happened. He was so excited to see how Ponyboy would react to the cake for Father's Day, but turns out, he didn't even look at the label on the container that Two-Bit had fetched him. Salt instead of sugar…what a total joke, Ryan thought to himself, mainly because he was blaming himself and getting ticked at his own self.

Two-Bit, who just fetched himself a beer from the fridge, leaned against the counter with Steve a few inches away, his fists jammed in his pockets, and both of them were having concern glowing off of their eyes and worried expressions upon their faces. They could sense how angry and disappointed Ryan was, but not in anybody else. Just himself.

Two-Bit felt guilty for a change, because he knew Ryan asked for the sugar, but he didn't look at the label of the container he got him in return for his request. Instead, he gave him the salt. Two-Bit then noticed that Steve was giving him that look of his that sent out the message, "Way to go, idiot.", and that _totally _sent Two-Bit over the edge of feeling guilty and embarrassed.

"Hey, Rye…you okay?" Two-Bit asked, his face beating red with humiliation, as he took a few small swigs of beer from the glass bottle.

"No!" Ryan bellowed, his voice sounding more upset with sorrow from the huge amount of disappointment that he was feeling on the inside. "_Now _what am I supposed to get Ponyboy for Father's Day?!"

"Why don't you just bake him another cake?" Two-Bit suggested, hiding the extra amount of embarrassment that he was containing inside of him the best he could to prevent it from showing.

"Genius," Steve instructed the wisecracker, his tone completely uncaring and filled with sarcasm. "Like you said not that long ago, we ran out of all of the ingredients we need to actually bake another cake."

Still feeling absolutely responsible for what just happened, Two-Bit scratched his chin with his free hands index finger, and that glassy thinking look was sparkling off in his eyes. Ryan and surprisingly Steve waited quietly, staring at Two-Bit, knowing that he was trying to figure out an answer to their situation. Ryan was actually eager to hear what Two-Bit would say, but Steve was only waiting to object, because he felt like Two-Bit's plans and ideas were always wastes of time.

Suddenly, a sly grin spread across Two-Bit's bright red face, and he snapped his fingers together as he opened his mouth, not waiting another single second to hesitate, and he said, "Why don't you simply do the old fashion thing and go to the store to buy some more cake supplies, Ryan?"

Steve made a look on his face that admitted that, that wasn't such a bad idea, but he still felt like Two-Bit was an idiot. However, Ryan only pouted as he shook his head, which made Two-Bit form a confused look himself.

"I don't have any money and I'm jobless…don't you guys have any money I can use and I'll pay you back with my next few weeks allowances saved up?" Ryan questioned, hopefully. He had already spent his past few weeks allowances that he had saved up to go on a romantic dinner and movie date with Mary.

"Sorry, Rye," Steve sighed "but unfortunately, Mr. Henderson went out of town, meaning that the DX won't provide me with any money, nor Soda or Kitten."

"…And I just don't have a job." Two-Bit decided to state that fact to get it out of the way already. "Nonetheless, even though you're broke, and we are, too…" That same sly smile came across the wisecrackers face again.

"Where you goin' with this, Mathews?" Steve asked, his eyebrow now cocked with absolute concern.

"I was getting ready to say that Ryan should do what we do to get stuff we want when we don't got any money. _Shoplift_ the cake supplies." Two-Bit explained.

Ryan's eyes grew big as his heart took one heck of a giant leap in his chest, and he gazed at Two-Bit like he was absolutely insane, while Steve just continued to cock his eyebrow and start scratching his chin, meaning that he was actually taking what Two-Bit said into consideration.

Ryan couldn't believe that Two-Bit just literally told him and Steve the option for him to go out to the store and actually _shoplift _some more cake supplies. Obviously if Ryan was caught, he understood completely that he would be arrested, and if there was one thing Ryan absolutely understood if he got in trouble with the law anymore, Kitten would have it at him big time.

"No way!" Ryan objected as he rapidly shook his head back and forth, which instantly won him over Two-Bit's and Steve's full, undivided attention.

Two-Bit created a phony pout after he heard Ryan say that about his suggestion with shoplifting.

"Why not?" Two-Bit whined, sounding more like a complaining little child instead of a full grown man.

"Uncle Two-Bit, you know what'll happen to me if my mom catches me actually _going out _to actually _look _for trouble with the law! She'll have my head! Besides, I don't want Ponyboy's Father's Day gift from me actually be finding me in jail!" Ryan lectured. That was actually quite a mouthful for Ryan to ever speak, considering he rarely wants to speak out like that to anybody, even towards the people he loves.

"…I give him that gift each year for Christmas!" Two-Bit informed, holding back his laughter the best he could so he could attempt sounding serious, but Two-Bit Mathews could _never _pull off _ever _sounding serious. Ryan and Steve both knew that Two-Bit was referring to himself giving Ponyboy the same Christmas gift each year with finding him in jail, but all Steve did was cock his eyebrow once again and roll his eyes, while Ryan pouted a little and shook his head some more.

"Well, no offence, but I'm not you, Uncle Two-Bit!" Ryan exclaimed, even though he was keeping his voice gentle, but yet a tiny bit louder towards the wisecracker.

Steve sighed as he crossed his arms over his stomach. Two-Bit and Ryan both instantly looked at him and noticed that complete annoyance was shimmering off of his eyes, and he had a regretful expression plastered on his face. Ryan's eyes widened a bit more as Two-Bit grew his big, goofy smile. They both completely knew what that look of Steve's meant. _That_ look meant he was actually agreeing with someone else, whether he liked it or not, and at the time, Steve was regretfully agreeing with Two-Bit completely.

"You can't be serious!" Ryan squeaked out, nearly choking on his own four words a bit from being so nervous and startled over Steve actually thinking he should do what Two-Bit said.

"Look, Rye, I hate this just as much as you do, but what other choice do you have? You want to bake a cake for Pony, and you can't do that without the cake supplies." Steve pointed out.

"No way! No! Not gonna happen! What if I get caught?!" Ryan panicked, running his hands through his shagged up, chestnut-colored hair.

Steve leaned back against the counter again, his arms remaining crossed over his chest, and he shook his head. "You wont get caught, Rye. We've stole lots of things without getting caught in the past here." Steve reminded.

"Then why can't you guys steal the cake supplies for me?!" Ryan questioned, his tone remained being full of panic, nervousness, worry, and fear all in one.

Two-Bit swallowed the new sip of beer he had slurped up in his mouth before replying to Ryan's new question with the exact words, "Because this is your Father's Day gift for Pony. It's not Christmas, so we can't steal for you."

"…But what if I actually _do _get caught?!" Ryan asked.

Two-Bit flashed another one of his big, cheesy, goofy smiles after he took in and digested yet another question from Ryan. You could tell that Two-Bit was attempting yet again to hold his laughter back, but he was desperately failing.

"Put your hands up to your shoulders, holler 'I surrender!', and smile pretty for the security camera!" Two-Bit laughed as he slapped his knee at his own joke. Steve, on the other hand, just grumbled many curse words under his breath to himself, and Ryan just narrowed his eyes at the wisecracker. Ryan was starting to feel a bit annoyed.

"I'm serious, Uncle Two-Bit!" Ryan bellowed, but yet, his voice was still remaining gentle a bit through Ryan's slimly gritting teeth.

"Aw, don't worry, kiddo." Two-Bit kept his grin perfectly straight as he gave Ryan a few pats on his shoulder, right before he ruffled his hair playfully and added the words, "We'll bail you out if you get caught.", to his speaking.

"…With what?!" Ryan demanded, considering Steve wasn't getting paid at the DX at the time, and Two-Bit just didn't have a job.

Two-Bit's grin vanished off his face as he hesitated for a moment, thinking heavily about what Ryan just said.

"Ya know what…here's some advice…don't get caught." Two-Bit told Ryan, before he starting gulping down more of his beer.

Ryan thought for only a couple of moments, until he frowned a little all over again and sighed, nodding his head a few slow times at Two-Bit and Steve. Ryan knew that there was pretty much no other options, and even though he didn't want to risk getting into anymore trouble with the law, he cared about giving Ponyboy a great Father's Day gift a whole lot more.

Since everyone else in the Curtis's house was busy doing whatever it was that they were at the time, Ryan just simply left out the front door with his head hanging down and hands jammed in his jeans pockets. Two-Bit and Steve promised they'd handle the rest of the gang when one of them pointed out he was gone by telling them he left to the store to pick up some more cake supplies.

Ryan kept his head hanging the entire time, whistling a little tune to himself as he kicked a small pebble around the sidewalk, and since the store was only about ten minutes away from the Curtis's household, Ryan was there in no time. Throughout the whole walk, there were hardly any people out on the street, but yet, there were still some. After Ryan first entered the store, he was relieved to see that hardly any people were in the store that day, so he could simply shoplift the cake supplies without anyone most likely catching him.

With his hands remaining jammed in his pockets, Ryan started his way around the store, going down a lot of the different aisles as he carefully and slowly studied back to forth, trying to find the supplies needed in order to bake another cake for Ponyboy's Father's Day present.

If only there weren't so many posters and whatnot hanging around that said "_Happy Father's Day!_" with different pictures of children having a blast with their fathers. _That_ just made Ryan feel a whole lot more pressured to quickly fetch Ponyboy a great Father's Day gift.

Ryan tucked a small box of chocolate cake mix underneath his jean jacket, along with a small jar of peanut butter before he left to another aisle, hoping he wouldn't draw any attention.

He was absolutely relieved when he didn't, but when he turned to enter the next aisle, he accidentally bumped into somebody. A young girl who looked about his age, and she was a total tomboy. Nevertheless, Ryan realized that this wasn't just any tomboy girl. She had short red hair that was shagged up a bit, and beautiful, shimmering crystal blue eyes that Ryan knew instantly by heart.

"Mary Valence!" Ryan's mouth gaped open until he was able to pass the surprised feelings that were now within him, and he smiled at his girlfriend.

Mary smiled right back and said Ryan's name after she realized it was him that crashed into her on accident, and she smiled her big, beautiful, sweet grin as she dusted herself off a bit.

"Fancy meeting you here, Ryan." Mary smirked playfully. She was holding a bag, which meant to Ryan that she must've been shopping for her family, but why on Father's Day?

Ryan didn't know what else to say, but as he was about to open his mouth to just wing it with more words, he realized Mary's eyes travel to his chest, where he was hiding the box of chocolate cake mix and the jar of peanut butter behind his jacket.

Ryan's eyes grew wide as his smile instantly disappeared off from his face, and he quickly looked down at himself, then back up at Mary, who was now flickering her eyes back and forth a bit from his jacket, to his eyes directly.

"…Father's Day shopping?" Mary questioned.

Ryan was actually surprised after he heard those three words come out of his girlfriends mouth, and you could tell by the look that was now upon his face that he was truly stunned.

"…How'd you know?" Ryan asked, and to his surprise, Mary formed a small, cute grin at him as she held up her bag a little, and then spoke the two words coolly and easily with some chuckles added in, "Lucky guess."

Ryan snickered a bit along, right before he carefully and quietly explained to Mary in as much detail as he possibly could about why he was there at the store and what all happened before he actually came.

After Ryan stopped talking in about two minutes, he was surprised all over again to just be seeing Mary just looking at him simply, her free hand that wasn't holding her bag now on her hip.

"So, you're shoplifting?" Mary quietly and carefully asked her boyfriend in such a soft whisper, gazing around her shoulders a few times to make sure that nobody was around or listening.

Ryan could only nod his head hesitantly, worrying on the inside and having the words jammed in his throat from the fear that Mary might break up with him or something like that after finding out what he was doing.

Mary touched her chin with her free hand and scratched it with her index finger, forming that same small, cute grin, which still surprised Ryan in the timing that they were in.

"You never told me you had a bad-boy side to you, Rye." Mary gave Ryan a flirty wink, which instantly made him goofily grin at her, as his face blushed up to the shade of a bright, bright red.

"Well, that depends…" Ryan chuckled "…do you _want _me to have a bad-boy side?"

Mary's smile then showed completely, absolutely beautiful and showing off all of her white teeth as she took in and nodded her head to Ryan's question, saying the exact words while doing so, "I think you're sexy when you're showing off a bad-boy side."

Would you seriously believe that conversation actually had Mary in instantly to help Ryan shoplift the cake supplies? Mary might've been a Soc, but she felt that doing things the legal way was actually overrated. In other words, she was shoplifting, too, hiding some supplies that she secretly took off of some shelves in her bag, even though she knew that no matter what happened, her father wouldn't notice.

"Ya know, you don't need to help me with this if you don't want to. The last thing I want my own girlfriend to do is go to the slammer because of me." Ryan maintained his chuckles the best he could, but he couldn't help them to slip out when he heard Mary begin to giggle herself, as she secretly and carefully packed away a carton of eggs in her bag.

"You don't need to worry about me at all, Ryan. Trust me, it's no problem at all. And I can promise you, we'll not get caught." Mart assured, making sure she was keeping her final sentence in a silent whisper so only Ryan could hear her words.

That settled it then. Whenever Mary stated that there was nothing to worry over, then there actually wasn't anything to worry about. She was a very excellent at playing it cool and everything, so when she promised Ryan that they wouldn't get caught, one way or the other, she'd be correct.

Mary and Ryan both went separate ways in the store, being very careful and cautious, acting all normal and ordinary like the other shoppers when they witnessed other people in the same aisles they went down as they snuck different food items for the second cake from the shelves.

Ryan used his head there to know that he should pick up some more icings, all in different colors, too. Soda must've cleared the whole big bowl with just his bare hands, mouth, and happy-go-lucky personality.

After about five minutes, Ryan and Mary met up again at the front of the store, still remaining very careful and cautious in all of the other shoppers and employees as they knew for a hardcore fact that they'd need to come up with a plan to simply just hurry out of the store without getting caught by anybody at all.

"What are we going to do? If we make a run for it, somebody will bound to realize us and we'll get thrown into the slammer!" Ryan exclaimed in a whispering tone. Mary knew he would keep on telling her more words that involved that same message, and she listened completely as she looked back and forth, taking in every word Ryan was telling her quietly, but when Mary witnessed a male employee starting to walk pass their direction, eating a sandwich, Mary's eyes grew big as she quickly grabbed Ryan and made their lips meet.

"Eh, eh!" the male employee snapped his fingers and shook his head, his mouth filled with a bite from his sandwich after his dark blue eyes caught the view of the two teenagers kissing. "No public affection of any kind in here! The two of you, break it up!"

After the male employee continued his way pass Mary and Ryan, the two of them stopped kissing, and Mary grinned a little when she saw how red Ryan's face now was, and he was smiling widely and goofily with that sparkle of happiness in his eyes.

"…Good plan to shut me up there." Ryan swooned, taking in a deep and dreamy breath, then letting it out relaxingly, both through his mouth.

Mary grinned and playfully rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah." she giggled as she playfully punched her boyfriend in his arm. "Anyway, I got a plan in order for us to get out of here unnoticeable."

"What is it?" Ryan questioned, eager to know Mary's plan. Knowing his own girlfriend, Ryan completely understood that her plan would properly surprise him, but anything to get him out of the store without going to jail, he'd do.

Mary smiled her mischievous grin that Ryan just melted over, and Ryan watched her as she secretly tiptoed over to some cans of different foods that were neatly stacked and only a couple of inches away from Ryan and herself.

Ryan didn't need to think twice at all about what Mary's plan was then, and his eyes grew big a bit as his lips twitched to a surprised frown. Only one push was needed…

"One…" Mary held up one finger, lip-syncing the single word.

Ryan hesitated a bit, but then took down a small gulp before he nodded his head, quietly saying the next number, "Two…"

"…Three!" Mary smirked as Ryan just watched, the two of them speaking the final number together, right before Mary pushed the neatly stacked cans with both of her hands, causing them to fall to the tile floor and crash with different '_thuds_' and '_thumps_' sounds echoing.

Just as many employees began rushing to the cans to stack them back up, each questioning how they fell in the first place with different confused/concerned expressions plastered on each of their faces, Mary quickly bolted, grasping Ryan's free hand as she pulled him along, and the two of them rushed and ran as fast as their legs could go. They continued to run for about two minutes straight until they both decided that they were far away enough from the store, and they succeeded with their shoplifting.

Surprisingly, now Ryan and Mary were laughing about it, as if it was just one of Two-Bit's tales, and Mary took the extra cake supplies from Ryan, placing them in her bag from her to carry until Ryan made it close enough to the Curtis's house himself.

"How could I ever repay you?" Ryan questioned.

Mary shook her head, knowing what was coming. Ryan always wanted to pay the people he loved back whenever they did something for him, but she didn't like taking anything from him, especially cash. Nevertheless, Ryan never took no for an answer at those times.

"No, no, Rye. You're my boyfriend. I'm honored to help just to do it freely for you." Mary informed.

"Please," Ryan sighed, gently taking a hold of one of Mary's hands and squeezing it caringly as they both continued to walk down the sidewalk together. "Mary, please let me do something for you in return." Ryan pleaded.

"Alright, alright." Mary caved, snickering with her words as she smirked. "You really want to repay me? Alright…then just simply do this for me…kiss me."

No hesitation there. After Mary said those final two words, Ryan smiled that same goofy grin as his face turned red, and he connected his arms around Mary's back as she cuffed her hands gently on his cheeks, the two of them having their lips lock like there was no tomorrow. Such lovebirds, the gang would each laugh and tease Ryan and Mary if they were there with them at that moment.

After about a minute, Ryan and Mary stopped kissing, and they continued their way down the sidewalk, holding hands and smiling, laughing with each other as they cracked jokes and shared stories about what was going down with each other.

Nonetheless, their happiness and joy came to an end when they heard an engine roaring, along with loud music playing from a radio, and when Mary and Ryan looked down the direction where the sounds were coming from, they saw a green mustang driving down the street and slowing down beside them. About six male Socs, who were all about a year or so older than Mary and Ryan both, were laughing and apparently checking out Ryan and Mary as they walked.

Ryan rolled his eyes in an annoyed manner as Mary only stared, both holding each other close while they continued to walk down the sidewalk.

"Just keep it cool and keep walking." Ryan instructed, whispering every word into Mary's pierced ear.

"No problem there." Mary whispered back as she gazed back in front of her, trying her best to tune the Socs out. Ryan, on the other hard, was keeping his eyes heavily on the green mustang, making sure that those six Socs wouldn't play any games or attempt any tricks.

Suddenly, one of the two blonde male Socs whistled in a flirty manner, right before he announced through one of the unrolled windows, "Wahoo! Would you guys check out that hot redhead!"

Ryan could feel his cheeks start to heat up with anger. He knew that those Socs were talking about Mary, even though she looked more like a Greaser since she was a tomboy when she was actually a Soc. They were trying to pick her up, and if there was one thing Ryan hated the most in all of Tulsa, it was others hittin' on his girlfriend.

"She's a cutie!" the brunette-haired driver Soc of the green mustang howled.

"Want to come for a ride, hot stuff?" one of the three black-haired Socs snickered with a smirk plastered on his face, and he gave Mary a flirty wink. She didn't need to look at them at all. They were really starting to tick her off. She wasn't a broad or a tramp, that's for sure. She was Ryan's girlfriend, and _only _Ryan's girlfriend.

"How 'bout you all shut up! I ain't interested in drunk snobs like you who enjoy getting many broads!" Mary hissed, still not making eye-contact with any of the male Socs in the green mustang. She slapped Ryan's arm around her shoulder, which Ryan didn't mind.

"Wow! You're sexy when you're angry, babe!" the other blonde Soc swooned as he drank some beer from his opened can, giving Mary a couple of flirty winks while doing so.

"Lay off my girlfriend!" Ryan snapped, losing his temper as he gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes in a sharp manner towards the six Socs. It didn't take long at all after Ryan saying that for all six of the male Socs to go crazy, howling with all their energy while laughing and giving each other high-fives like maniacs.

"_Your _girlfriend! Ha! That's _hilarious_! Why would a hottie like her be with a trashy lowlife like you, grease-ball?!" the brunette-haired Soc, who's name was apparently David, laughed and laughed, even looking like he was about to cry from laughing so much with his face being deep red and all.

"Back off!" Mary ordered "he _is _my boyfriend! And my _only _boyfriend, might I add!"

Ryan made a look at the Socs that just simply sent out the message, "I told ya so.", but however, when Ryan and Mary both caught the sight of the new facial expressions of different smirks from the Socs, they knew that there was more to come.

"So…" the blonde Soc with the dark green eyes named Sam snickered, "…the two of you are going steady? Lovebirds, are you? Sweeties, huh? A couple?"

"Shut up!" Ryan was really getting annoyed now. When the gang said things like that to him, he was used to it, considering they're just joking and teasing him playfully. Socs, on the other hand, are obviously different.

"You goin' to make me?" Sam smirked, but before Ryan could reply, the black-haired Soc with the tan skin and lime green eyes named Dominic, came into the conversation.

"Chestnut-haired boy?" Dominic addressed Ryan by his hair color, considering he didn't know his name. As if he'd ever call him by it if he actually _did _know it.

"…What?" Ryan snarled, rolling his eyes while doing so as he looked at Dominic, who was smirking away, just like the others were of course doing.

"You two ever make out?" Dominic chuckled.

"That's none of your business!" Ryan bellowed, and Mary nodded her head with complete agreement. They actually never made out. Only kissed a bit. They wanted to wait awhile before actually making out. Besides, if the gang found _that _out, they wouldn't _ever _allow Ryan to catch a break from them.

"Ever sneak out together?" Dominic snickered another question, and his pals quietly giggled along like freaks according to Ryan and Mary.

"That's still nothing for you to know!" Ryan exclaimed, getting more and more stern and angry with each word he proclaimed from his lips. He and Mary actually _did _sneak out with each other on a couple of dates with each other.

You could see the deviousness glow in Dominic's eyes as his smirk grew wider. He knew that he was annoying Ryan and Mary, but mainly Ryan, and he was desperately feeding on that, which he greatly enjoyed.

"Come on, chestnut-haired boy. Level with me, would ya? How 'bout this…" Dominic giggled "…you ever give her your injection?"

Mary's eyes shot huge as she paled, and Ryan absolutely lost it. He couldn't handle his anger anymore, and you honestly couldn't blame him. Just as Dominic and the other five Socs began howling out more laughter, Mary hollered out a loud, "NO!", to answer Dominic's final question, and that was the truth. Nevertheless, Ryan did something different…

"Go to hell!" Ryan commanded furiously, right before he clenched one of his fists together and flung it forward, causing it to nail Dominic right in the nose. Blood instantly began to trickle out as the laugher quickly ended from the Socs, and they instantly stopped their ride, piling out around Mary and Ryan, surrounding them.

"You're dead meat, ya greasy piece of trash!" Dominic bellowed at the top of his lungs, his voice full of rage as he pushed Ryan back, but to his and the other Socs surprise, Ryan actually pushed him in return.

"Bring…it…on." Ryan hissed, taking in and letting out deep breaths of anger. Mary was about to grasp his shoulder and tell him not to do this, but before she could, one of the other Socs yanked her away and threw her to the concrete, half of him being merciful and careful though, considering he thought that she was hot.

"Mary!" Ryan instantly gasped and turned around after hearing Mary's thud against the ground.

"Rye! Look out!" Mary exclaimed, pointing for Ryan to look in front of him, and when he quickly did to do as she said, he was instantly greeted by Dominic's fist, which nailed him right in his left eye, sending him to the ground as the mocking laughter of the five other Socs chimed in.

Nevertheless, Ryan wouldn't have the humiliation. He instantly pounced back up on his feet with his scowl beating red, and he began throwing many different punches and kicks. Man, Ryan drew blood, too. He made Dominic's nose bleed more, and he even made his right ear and lip bleed, considering Ryan could seriously pack a good fight no matter what for self-defense.

Mary sooner came into the fight herself to help Ryan and back him up when she witnessed Sam flip out his switchblade from his boot and attempt to secretly use it on Ryan, but Mary saved him. Boy, she knew karate good.

The fight ended about five minutes later, and it only did so because Mary had swiped Sam's switchblade and threatened all six of the Socs, causing them to jet their way back into their ride and drive off without any hesitation.

The worse Mary got was a small scratch on her cheek from one of the Socs rings, but Ryan ended up with a black eye, which he didn't realize, and a bit of blood coming out of his nose.

"Ryan, are you okay?" Mary asked cautiously, gently wiping the small amount of blood away from Ryan's nose with her sleeve.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, Mary." Ryan assured. He then questioned if he looked alright, and Mary only nodded her head. She didn't want to tell Ryan about his black eye, so she kept her mouth shut about it. The two then just continued their way down the sidewalk, planning on keeping what just happened between the two of them.

After about another five minutes of just more talking and laughing between the two teenagers, Ryan couldn't help himself to stop and look through the solid glass window of the mug shop, where Steve's girlfriend, Evie worked.

Ryan could see Evie at the register, flipping through a fashion magazine as she blew some of her silky black bangs out of her face. There weren't any customers, considering it was Father's Day, and Ryan figured maybe he could see if there were any mugs that he could put on hold to buy Ponyboy for a late Father's Day gift.

"What is it, Ryan?" Mary asked patiently and kindly as she stared through the big glass window beside Ryan, smiling a bit when she saw Evie, considering she knew who she was.

"…I just want to check something out, alright? Is that alright with you?" Ryan questioned, making eye-contact with Mary then.

Mary nodded her head as she spoke the words, "Oh, sure. Go right on ahead. I'll be waiting out here."

Ryan smiled at her to say his thanks, right before he walked through the front door of the mug shop, causing the little bell that hung over the door to jingle. Evie instantly looked up from her magazine, surprised at first since it was Father's Day and somebody was actually there, but she instantly smiled her pretty grin as she laid her teal eyes on Ryan, instantly knowing him by heart.

"Ryan, hi!" Evie greeted.

"Hey, Evie!" Ryan waved at her with a big grin upon his face.

"What are you doing here?" Evie questioned with a single shrug of her shoulders.

Ryan felt embarrassed to explain everything about him forgetting Father's Day yet again, but he did anyway, right before he asked Evie if it was possible that the mug shop had any Father's Day related mugs leftover.

"You're in luck." Evie smiled, right before she vanished around the corner of the small shop for a couple of seconds, and when she came back in sight, she was holding a blue mug, Ponyboy's favorite color being blue, and it had red letters printed on the surface of the mug that said the exact words, "_I Love You And Forever Will, Dad._"

Ryan instantly loved the mug, knowing it fit Ponyboy perfectly and how much he loved and respected him after all he's done for him, but yet on the inside, Ryan cringed, hating the fact that he couldn't pay for the mug, meaning he couldn't have it.

"You want this, Ryan?" Evie asked.

Ryan tried his best not to pout after he took in and digested Evie's question, trying to remain smiling to be polite, but the frown tugged at the edges of his lips, and his eyes began to fill with sorrow, as if he was a homeless puppy dog.

"I'm afraid I can't, Evie. I love it and all, but I'm broke. I don't have any money at all." Ryan sighed with absolute regret as he stuffed his hands into his jackets pockets and pouted at his shoes.

Evie pouted, studying the way Ryan looked before she used her free hand to scratch her chin. She knew what she was about to say wasn't allowed, but her boss wasn't around, and she could care less about this job. Ryan was her friend who wanted to give Ponyboy that mug.

"Tell you what…" Evie spoke up after the short pause, and Ryan instantly looked at her, waiting to catch more of her words. "Rye, since you're my friend, I'll let you have this for free. It _is_ Father's Day and all, and you don't need to pay me back."

Ryan's mouth gaped open a little as he held out his hands a bit, and he watched as Evie gently and carefully placed the mug in his hands.

"A-Are you sure, Evie?" Ryan stuttered a bit from being so surprised. He grew even more surprised some when he witnessed Evie smile at him and nod her head.

"Consider it a friendly loan." Evie told him.

Ryan opened his mouth to say he wanted to repay her somehow, but Evie only grinned and beat him to it, saying the exact words, "It's best if you hurry on home. Happy Father's Day, Ryan."

"…Happy Father's Day, Evie. And thanks." Ryan smiled at her, bowing his head when saying his thanks, and Evie waved goodbye to him as he left the mug store, where he found Mary still waiting like she said she would.

"Mary! Mary! Look at what I got for Ponyboy to go along with the cake!" Ryan excitedly cheered, being very careful when showing Mary the mug, considering he obviously didn't want it to shatter like the one he attempted to put his handprint on.

Mary studied the mug, grinning the entire time, and she read the words from right off the mug as she nodded her head with full approval. Nevertheless, Ryan could tell that there was a sudden hint of sorrow in Mary's voice.

"You okay, Mary?" Ryan asked.

"…Well…" Mary sighed "…I forgot to even bother fetching my own dad something, considering he barely notices or pays any attention that matters towards me and Cherry."

"What are you talkin' about, Mary? You were shopping for your father when we were at the store before we bumped into each other, remember?" Ryan questioned, but Mary shook her head.

"No, I was only stealing some more food supplies. I may be a Soc, but I hate using my money for these types of things." Mary shared, trying to keep her frown from tugging its way on her face, but she couldn't help it.

Ryan pouted, glancing at the mug that he was still holding in his hands as he heavily thought about what Mary just said. It was true. Mr. and Mrs. Valence, just like every other married Soc couple with children, didn't care to put any cares or time into their kids lives, considering the fact that they spoiled them to the point that they believed that their children were lucky with what all they got instead of the people who actually brought them into the world.

Ryan didn't want Mary to give her father nothing for Father's Day, even though he was a crumby father. He was still her dad and always would be no matter what. Ryan knew that he had the cake supplies to bake the new second cake for such a great father like Ponyboy, so he could only think of doing one thing at that time.

"Mary, here. You can have this mug." Ryan offered out the mug for Mary to take, but she just stared at it, her eyes now wide.

"Oh, no…no, no, Ryan…I couldn't." Mary sighed, shaking her head.

"Please, Mary." Ryan pleaded, giving his girlfriend his puppy dog face. "I'm already going to give Pony a cake. You can take the mug for your own father."

Mary stared at Ryan, feeling like she was melting over his puppy dog face, but then decided about ten silent seconds later to take the mug with such a careful and gentle touch.

"Gee, Ryan…thanks." Mary thanked, giving her boyfriend a little kiss on the cheek to add into her thanks. Ryan grinned goofily as he gently touched his cheek, completely now blushing and feeling lit up in his heart.

"No problem…" he swooned, and the two continued on their way back to the Curtis's house, Ryan needing to be dragged technically since he had his head in the clouds at the moment from receiving Mary's kiss.

"And that, my dear friends, is how I got away with making out with this dumb blonde middleclass girl in the janitors closet back in high school." Two-Bit smiled proudly in spite of himself, smoking himself a weed that he was holding inbetween his pointer and middle fingers on his right hand back at the Curtis's house.

Dally rolled his eyes, his hands remaining over Jocelyn's ears the entire time.

"You're completely insane, Mathews. You're just lucky that Jocelyn's here now, or I'd seriously beat you to a pulp." Dally threatened between gritted teeth, but all Two-Bit did was shrug his shoulders, remaining to grin as he continued to take drags of his cigarette.

Kitten shook her head a few times and rolled her eyes, deciding to change the topic. "What could be taking Ryan so long?" Kitten sighed as she formed a pout, then adding the exact words, "I should've went with him. He's mine and Ponyboy's son we took in anyway."

Then, as if on que, Ryan entered through the front door of the Curtis's house, carrying the cake supplies easily, but he still didn't realize that he had a black eye. Mary didn't bother to go inside. She had to get back home anyway.

"Oh my god!" Ryan yelped a little after he heard Soda let out those three words. Sodapop's mouth gaped open as he exclaimed out, "Rye, your eye!"

Ryan took in Soda's words, remembering how he got into that fight with those Socs, and with his eye feeling a bit sore lately, Ryan instantly snapped into the thought that he must've had a black eye.

"…Um…" Ryan gulped "I don't know what you're talking about, Uncle Soda!"

"Ryan, let us see your eye." Darry said, but all Ryan did was shake his head, now hiding his black eye behind his free hand that wasn't holding any of the cake supplies.

"There's nothing wrong with it, I promise!" Ryan assured "can't you guys, and gals, trust me?"

"…No." Two-Bit shook his head.

"Gee, thanks." Ryan mumbled when he heard Two-Bit's response.

"Ryan…son, I love you, but you have two choices." Kitten informed "you either remove your hand from over your eye…or I remove your arm."

"Mom!" Ryan exclaimed, wanting to go on with more words to defend himself, but Kitten cut him off.

"Easy way or the hard way, Ryan?" Kitten questioned as she placed her hands on her hips.

Usually when Ryan's given the option to go for the easy way or the hard way, he'd instantly go for the hard way, considering he's too stubborn for his own good sometimes, but with Kitten being the one asking for the easy or hard way, Ryan knew if he said the hard way, he'd get it big time from his mother.

Ryan sighed, then slowly removed his hand back down from his eye, revealing the light shade of blue and purple that surrounded it once again.

"Ryan, how did that happen?!" Kitten demanded, gripping Ryan's arm gently, but yet roughly at the same time, and she pulled him into the kitchen, the rest of the gang rushing after them.

"Kitten, it's so obvious! It's awesome, too! Our Ryan got into a fight!" Two-Bit cheered with a huge proud and goofy, but yet thrilled and excited smile plastered on his face.

"Two-Bit!" Soda bellowed, giving Two-Bit that rare look of his that instantly gave out the message, "You're kidding me, right?!"

"Oh, come on! Let us enjoy his first ever fight here!" Two-Bit said.

"Mathews, if you don't stop talkin', I'm goin' to lose it on ya…" Dally growled, crossing his arms over his chest, but it was as if Two-Bit didn't hear him.

"Say, Rye, did you draw any blood?" Two-Bit questioned.

"…Yes." Ryan admitted, remembering how many strong punches and tough kicks of his won him the fight against the Socs, while Kitten examined his eye very carefully.

"TUFF!" Two-Bit's voice roared with so much cheer and thrill from being so proud in Ryan's first fight that the Socs on the other side of town could've possibly heard his outburst.

"I'm going to lose it!" Dally warned, his fists starting to tremble a bit from being squeezed so tightly.

"Why'd you fight in the first place, Ryan?" Kitten asked.

"…These Socs were flirting with Mary…I had to teach 'em a lesson for trying to pick up my girlfriend…I bumped into Mary at the store, actually. She helped me shoplift the cake supplies." Ryan confessed.

"Wait a second…" Kitten interrupted, shocked. "…YOU stole cake supplies, Ryan?!"

"It wasn't my fault, Mom! Two-Bit and Steve gave me permission!" Ryan quickly shot one of his pointer fingers over to Two-Bit and Steve. Steve's mouth gaped open as Two-Bit's eyes widened, both of them letting out small yelps.

"What?!" Kitten angrily glared at the wisecracker and number one car expert of the Curtis's Greasers gang.

"Kitty-Cat, please! We don't encourage violence in this household!" Steve tried his best to keep his cool, but you could tell that he was nervous by the slight panicking that was starting to slip into his voice.

"You. Two. Sat. My. Son. Up. For. SHOPLIFTING?!" Kitten demanded. Man, if she wasn't pregnant, she'd be kicking both Two-Bit's and Steve's butts into next year.

"…On the bright side…Ryan set some Socs straight, Kit-Cat." Two-Bit gulped.

"I JUST LOST IT!" Dally hollered, instantly pouncing on Two-Bit and tackling him to the kitchen floor, where the two began to wrestle.

Kitten rolled her eyes and started taking in and letting out deep, but soft breaths to remain calm.

"Just don't get any blood in this second cake, you two." Kitten warned Dallas and Two-Bit, deciding to let Ryan's black eye slip for that time.

Darry and Soda both had to haul Dallas away from Two-Bit, while Steve actually had to pull Two-Bit away, ending the wrestling about twenty seconds in. After the wrestling ended, the gang each started baking the second cake, and this time, Two-Bit checked the labels before giving them to Ryan, who double-checked them to make sure.

"Alright, I could use a break instead of waiting for this second cake. Can someone stay in here and take the cake out after fifteen minutes, please?" Ryan questioned after Darry had popped the stirred ingredients into the oven.

"I'll do it. Mickey's not on right now and I could use something to do." Two-Bit volunteered, taking a seat down at the kitchen table, where he just stared at the stove, and the rest of the gang headed into the living room, where they each began their own things.

No one paid attention to the time, considering they were each caught up doing different things, and the only time someone finally pointed something out, it was when they started smelling the scent of something burning, followed by the flapping of something.

"Uncle Two-Bit!" Ryan gasped, just as he and the rest of the gang bashed into the kitchen _thirty _minutes later to see Two-Bit fanning the burnt and crispy cake that was now laying on the counter with a kitchen rag.

"What was so hard about watching the time and taking the cake out, Mathews?!" Dallas commanded to know.

"I don't know!" Two-Bit admitted.

Ryan couldn't believe it. He went through the guilt and nervousness of shoplifting and then fighting some Socs on the way back from the store to only have the second cake end up being nothing but a crumbled and black stone. Ryan knew that Two-Bit was a klutz in the kitchen, but he honestly thought that Two-Bit would've been able to simply take the cake out of the oven in fifteen minutes.

"Great! Just great!" Ryan gave himself a face-palm, feeling upset in himself more than anything all over again. "_Now_ what can I get for Ponyboy for Father's Day?! He'll be back from that authors signing of his before we know it!"

"…Can we just bake another cake?" Two-Bit nervously piped up the suggestion.

"No! No more cake madness!" Darry snapped, but Ryan wasn't so sure about that on the inside. He secretly wanted to bake another cake. Maybe and hopefully this one will turn out correctly if he just baked it with the help of Kitten only.

"I'll be right back." Ryan shared with the gang, already having a new idea in mind.

"Where are you going, Rye?" Johnny questioned curiously.

"Just out." Ryan replied, not wanting to tell the gang that he was truly going back to the store to secretly attempt shoplifting again. He didn't want to, but it was for Ponyboy.

"When will you be back, hun?" Kitten asked.

"Within twenty-five minutes, Mom. I promise." Ryan gave Kitten a family kiss on her cheek, right before he exited the Curtis's kitchen, then continued his way through the living room, until he was finally out the front door, catching it and quietly closing it behind him before it could slam shut.

After Ryan was out of sight from the Curtis's house, he ran as fast as his two feet could go, which was pretty fast, and he kept on running until he made it back to the store. This time wouldn't be so easy to shoplift, considering Mary wasn't there to help him.

"I'm sorry, sir." Ryan heard a female employee speak to some man who was about to pass into the store even more after he took only about two steps through the glass doors, just as Ryan walked past the two of them, heading off to hopefully shoplift successfully all by himself.

"What's the big deal if I smoke in here, Ma'am?" the man questioned the female employee, who only shook her head.

"There's signs all over saying you can't smoke in here. The last thing we need is a fire in here. I'm sorry, but you either put that cigarette out, or you must leave." the female employee informed.

"Fine!" the man mumbled stubbornly, flicking his cigarette down to the floor, thinking that, that would put it out, and the female employee didn't see him do it, because she just walked away after she heard him say "Fine!"

The man then started grumbling such language under his breath, and as he continued his way into the store, wishing he could smoke…nobody knew that the cigarette was starting to burn what was around it…

Ryan searched the aisles, gazing at the shelves, wishing that Mary was there to help him again, but before Ryan could even snatch the first supplies needed to bake a third cake, he heard an alarm start to ring so, so loudly, followed by people started to scream and holler, and all Ryan could hear then was the single word being hollered over and over again, "FIRE!"

Ryan's heart instantly felt like it dropped right there in his chest and shattered, as his eyes shot huger than ever before, and the color instantly rushed out of his skin. Sure, Ryan was a Greaser, and yeah, he went through a whole lot that day, but he never even imagined getting into trouble that was _that _huge to deal with all on his own with nobody from the gang there to save him or be by his side to help.

The dark smoke started spreading all over, and Ryan started having difficulty seeing, his eyes now starting to water and itch heavily due to the burning smoke and heat of the flames that was now scattering throughout the store.

Ryan ran the best he could, trying his best to see, but he couldn't. The smoke was way too thick now, and you couldn't spot a single person or thing. Nevertheless, that didn't stop Ryan from running. He ran and ran as fast as he could, hoping to death that he'd get out of that store actually stable and in one peace; still alive.

"Help! Somebody!" Ryan tried his best to call out for help over and over again, but every time he opened his mouth to attempt calling out for help, he kept taking in the heavy smoke from the fire, which caused him instantly to rapidly cough over and over again.

"Someone! Please!" Ryan begged, his bare hands now blocked over his mouth, which was still releasing out more and more rapid coughs, and the fifteen-year-old boy continued to rush throughout the store blindly, his eyes burning and itching with water now falling heavily down his red face from his clenched shut eyelids.

The scent of things burning was all around him, and red, yellow, and orange flames were growing bigger and bigger by the minute, destroying everything in the store that it came across and lit up.

It was suddenly turning faint to Ryan, as he began to feel dizzy all the sudden with him starting to feel woozy when running through the thick smoke, and it was as if from a long distance, he could now hear some sirens ringing outside the burning store.

"Help me…please…" Ryan couldn't speak loudly at all. He know sounded very weak, and with now even having difficulty walking with his legs suddenly starting to quake and tremble, Ryan collapsed to the floor of the store, not able to get back up or even crawl.

"There's someone still in there!" Ryan could hear a male voice calling out about him being in the burning store, but it still sounded like it was from a very long and away distance.

"…The gang…Ponyboy…my unborn sibling…" Those words were Ryan's last words, followed by some faint coughs, before everything around him faded, and all he saw was blackness.

Hours past. The clock struck 7:30 that evening, and Ryan Albright finally opened up his still slimly itchy, slightly watery, and red-rimmed eyes, confusedly glancing around the room that he was suddenly in. At first, everything was just a plain blur, his eyes adjusting to finally waking up after passing out from weakness in that fire, but Ryan instantly found out after studying the room that he was in that he was in the hospital.

His head was slightly aching, and there was a needle in his arm, giving him some water when he was asleep. His face was still red a bit and slightly wet from the tears that kept escaping his eyes from the itching and burning. Ryan remembered everything from the fire, and boy, it scared him good. He properly won't be able to go anywhere alone ever again.

"Ryan!"

Ryan's red-rimmed, tearful eyes shot huge, and he quickly snapped his attention over to the opened doorway of his hospital room, which is when he found out that, that voice belonged to who he knew exactly it was…

"Ponyboy!" Ryan gasped, his mouth gaping open, but he was yet relieved, overjoyed, upset, shocked, terrified, and startled all in one giant wrap.

Pony instantly rushed over to Ryan's hospital bed, throwing his arms around his fifteen-year-old son and holding him close, while Ryan did the same to him in return, both of them thinking the exact same thing that Ryan could've died that very day.

"On my way back home from my authors signing, I got a phone call from your doctor, who told me you've been in a fire incident. You ended up passing out from lack of fresh air, considering you were taking in the heavy smoke. I was terrified, and instantly drove here, breaking the speed limit and everything just for you." Ponyboy explained. He took in a deep breath and let it out to remain calm, and he released a relieved sigh then as he added, "Nonetheless, you aren't seriously injured. A fireman rescued you not long after you blocked out. You don't got any burns or anything like that. Just a slight cough you'll be stuck with for a week or so, and itchy, watery eyes that'll go away within three days."

Ryan pouted, thinking on the inside that he would've been a goner that day, but he was mainly upset because there he was in the hospital on Father's Day after being in a fire, and he didn't have a gift for Ponyboy.

"…I'm so sorry, Pony." Ryan apologized, his voice sighing.

"Sorry? Sorry for what, Ryan?" Ponyboy questioned, wrapping a consoling arm around Ryan's shoulders carefully and lovingly and holding him close to his side.

"I forgot that today was Father's Day, so I didn't get you a present to show how much I love and respect you to death with all my heart." Ryan confessed, and he went into as much detail as possible, explaining to the youngest Curtis every single thing that happened that Father's Day on his journey to find Pony a perfect Father's Day gift, but he didn't succeed.

"Oh, Rye…" Ponyboy shook his head, starting to stroke Ryan's hair then, right before he gave him a kiss on the forehead. "You've already given me the greatest gift of all…you're my son. That's more then I could ever ask for."

A smile instantly tugged up on Ryan's lips, and he instantly threw his arms around Ponyboy again, telling him over and over again that he loved him and that he always would. Pony chuckled each time Ryan repeated himself, promising him that he'd always love him until the end of time as well.

Suddenly, the two male Greasers heard another male voice that was familiar to both of them say, "Knock, knock.", along with two knocks gently being made on the open doorway to Ryan's hospital room.

Without any hesitation, knowing that voice by heart, Ryan and Ponyboy released each other from their tight and bonding hug, then fixed their eyes on the doorway to see Randy Anderson, and standing on opposite sides of him were Cherry Valence, Marcia Thomas, and by Cherry's side also, Mary, all four of them smiling greatly.

"Randy, Cherry, Marcia, Mary! Whoa, what a surprise!" Ryan cheered "what are you guys doing here?"

"Well, we heard you got into a fire incident, and we came as fast as we could." Randy explained, followed by Marcia adding, "Nonetheless, something else happened on our way here…"

Ryan froze, allowing his eyes to grow big from nervousness after he heard what words came out of Marcia's mouth. It's been an extremely _long _and unforgettable Father's Day with a broken mug, a salty cake, shoplifting for more cake supplies, getting into a fight with Socs, a burnt cake, and then ending up in the hospital from a fire at the store when he attempted shoplifting again. All Ryan could think at that moment was, what else could _possibly _go wrong?!

"…W-What happened?" Ryan gulped. Randy, Cherry, Marcia, and Mary each exchanged their grins that were still plastered on each of their faces, right before they came into Ryan's hospital room and sat down in some chairs, except for Mary, who sat beside Ryan on his bed.

"Hey, Rye." Soda appeared in the doorway with Darry, and behind them was the rest of the gang, but before Ryan could even say a single word back, Sodapop and Darry, as for the rest of the gang, made a path, and here came Two-Bit…who was pushing Kitten in a wheelchair, and in Kitten's arms, was a little human being. The newborn baby.

"_That _happened." Randy answered Ryan's question then. Nevertheless, Ryan couldn't talk. He was too shocked. Shocked in a good way, that is. His mouth was now gaping open widely, and his eyes were remaining big, but this time from being surprised.

Kitten's ginger hair was all shagged up and tussled, and there were tears dripping down her face, considering giving birth isn't such a walk in the park. But Kitten smiled, giving the newborn baby a gentle and loving kiss on its head, before gazing back at Ryan and Ponyboy. Ponyboy was actually just as surprised, having the same look as Ryan's plastered on his face, making Kitten giggle a bit.

Two-Bit grinned goofily, then announced in a soft manner, "Welcome to the world…Mr. and Mrs. Curtis's newborn baby girl."

Ryan instantly spoke out with the exact words, "It's a girl?!", just as Pony asked the question, "I have a daughter now?!"

"Hehe! Yep! It's a girl!" Kitten chuckled at her husbands and sons behavior.

"Do you have a name picked out yet?" Cassidy questioned, but Kitten shook her head.

"No, not yet…" Kitten sighed "…she certainly ain't no Hilary or Sophie…"

"I got an idea." Ponyboy grinned, which instantly gave him everyone's full, undivided attention, especially Ryan's. Pony gazed over at Ryan, looking him straight in the eyes as he clapped him on the shoulder with such a caring and gentle grip.

"Why don't _you _name her, Rye?" Pony offered.

Ryan's eyes went wider as his mouth fell open again, surprised to actually hear Pony say that. Ponyboy chuckled and nodded his head, knowing that, that facial expression of Ryan's meant that he was asking if he was sure. Ryan then gazed at Kitten, who was smiling beautifully, and she spoke that exact words, "I dig that."

"You like to hold her, Ryan?" Ponyboy asked.

"…C-Can I?" Ryan nervously, but yet happily and proudly, questioned, and he held his arms out a bit towards Kitten, who was getting her shoulder pat a bit by Two-Bit.

"Of course." Kitten answered "watch her head though."

Ryan took in deep, but soft breaths, and let them out over and over again, remaining calm as his heart pounded faster and faster, more rapid with each pump it created, and the fifteen-year-old boy took the newborn baby girl from Kitten's arms, cuddling the little pink blanket close to his chest as he gazed down, seeing the little face and little bare arms starting to squirm around, as the adorable greenish-grayish eyes stared back up at him with complete innocence.

Ryan's mouth instantly twitched into a huge smile, and he could feel tears starting to form and drip down his face, greeting himself to the newborn baby with the exact words, "Hi…I'm your older brother, Ryan…and I promise you I'll always love, care, and protect you no matter what…and you'd best look out when you turn into a teenager, because I'll be borrowing a heater for those boys who come near you."

Ponyboy laughed softly a bit at Ryan's last sentence towards the baby, as he gently rubbed Ryan's back, completely agreeing with him about everything with the everlasting love, care, and protection, especially towards those boys in the future.

"Aw, Ryan…you're crying." Kitten sighed happily, loving the fact that the newborn baby girl had Ryan instantly wrapped around her little finger.

"No, I'm not!" Ryan objected, still smiling fully and gazing down at his baby sister with the tears still coming down from his eyes. "It's just from that smoke still! My eyes are still irritated!"

Kitten only grinned and rolled her eyes, before she said, "Well, your newborn sister still needs a name."

Ryan couldn't take his eyes off of his baby sister. He loved her to death already, and it was obvious he was wrapped around her teeny-weeny little finger. A name though…Ryan never pictured himself naming a baby until he had one of his own in the future, whether it was fostering or creating one with his wife. Nevertheless, at that moment, Ryan knew he'd have to think of a name.

Alyssa? Katie? Sara? Bella? No, none of those worked. Neither did Terra, Giselle, Gabriella, or Tiffany. Ryan didn't quite like Ariel, Olivia, Cassandra, or Rita either. What about Ella? Emma? Alexis? Roxy? Nope, still didn't feel right. Ryan knew that a name is special for some reason only because it depends on who it was given to, and he didn't think those names were good for his baby sister.

"What about Carmen?" Mary suggested.

"Or Karen?" Jocelyn offered.

"Maddie? Kristi?" Johnny shrugged his shoulders.

"London?" Steve asked.

But Ryan shook his head, sighing out, "Sorry, but none of those seem right for this newborn baby…she doesn't look like a Ginger…she doesn't feel like a Blair either…"

"What's next? She doesn't smell like a Barbra and she doesn't taste like a Judy?" Two-Bit was only joking with the senses, but when he got everybody looking at him like he was a psycho, except for Dally, who was giving him a death mock stare, Two-Bit shut his mouth, pretending to lock his lips and throw away the key.

Ryan cradled the squirming baby in his arms, smiling down at her again as he thought about a name that could fit her. Suddenly, Ryan had something click in his head…it was a very original name, so it was a great thing that the Curtis's Greasers gang were all original people.

"…I like the name Portia…she looks like a Portia, doesn't she?" Ryan questioned, having everybody in the room instantly nod their heads in full agreement. Ryan smiled greatly as he announced, "Welcome to the world, Portia Rose Curtis."

"And a nickname for her…Ryan, yours is Lion…Christopher's is Gopher…" Darry pointed out.

"Puppy Portia! We can nickname her with Puppy Portia!" Ryan exclaimed full of cheer and happiness.

"That sounds perfect, Ryan!" Kitten approved.

Ryan smiled, turning his attention over to Ponyboy, right before he carefully and gently handed over Portia for him to hold.

"Happy Father's Day, Dad." Ryan proudly sighed, acting as if Portia was Ponyboy's Father's Day gift. Ponyboy snickered and nodded his head, playfully ruffling up Ryan's hair and having his hand playfully battered away by the fifteen-year-old chuckling boy, and Pony played along, cradling his daughter in his arms.

"I love her, Rye. Thanks so much for the best Father's Day ever." Ponyboy thanked.

"Um, hello! I'm the one who gave birth to Portia here!" Kitten reminded, trying her best to look stern, as she crossed her arms over her chest, but when she had Pony and Ryan both stare at her, she couldn't help the smile from twitching up on her lips, and she released some chuckles from her mouth.

"I love ya, darling." Ponyboy snickered.

"I love you, too." Kitten playfully rolled her eyes, right before she and Ponyboy shared a kiss, as well did Ryan and Mary to celebrate just the fact that Ryan actually pulled off Father's Day being great, even though it was full of many bumps, twists, and turns. Now if only next year Ryan can remember Father's Day _and _Portia's birthday. Ah, the irony.

"Can't you believe that in a few years after college and we get married, Ryan, we'll be sharing this type of moment a couple times?" Mary giggled. All Ryan could do then was blush heavily and grin goofily, making everybody in the room laugh, except Ponyboy and Kitten, who just playfully rolled their eyes.

"_Way _into the future there!" Kitten and Ponyboy both said to Ryan and Mary.

**A/N: I know, weird ending, but I think this one-shot was great, if I can say so myself. Anyway, my greatly golden and tuff friend, ****AlongTheBinding****, owns Ryan, Christopher, and Albert! I only own Mary, Kitten, Cassidy, Jocelyn, and Portia! Everyone else belongs to S.E. Hinton! I hope you all enjoyed this one-shot, and please review! Thanks! :D :D :D :D**


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